Bedding rifle stock

Many decades ago, the most common bedding material was Brownell's Accraglas that came in a red box. Included was a bag of gray-white powdery stuff that was probably asbestos. This was to be mixed in with the epoxy/hardener combo to provide a thicker & less runny consistency. A gunsmith pal of mine used this stuff. On stock bedding days 5-6 rifles were lined up, each resting in notches cut in carboard boxes with stretchy rubber surgical tubing clamping metal to rough formed stocks. Gobs of bedding material oozed out to drop onto layers from previous jobs on the bottom of each box. The hardened epoxy was removed during final stock shaping. Everything sure looked ugly at that point. Some of the wood blanks (super good grain flow & everything else) cost $100-$200 (old time $) so a complete application of release agent was needed to prevent a stuck in place disaster.

Titanium must be the primo bedding agent additive. Extremely strong, corrosion proof, light weight - much better than asbestos. I never used Vaseline over shoe polish wax fearing the Vaseline would act as solvent on the wax - it deserves a trial run.
Vasealine makes a very good release agent. However I only use marintex and devcon with vasaline as a release agent. I can't speak for it's rectivity with other bedding materials.
 
This is not correct, the rear pillar sets the height of the rear of the action, just as the front pillar sets the height of the front of the action.
Re-read what I posted.
This would be the case if the pillars are pre-installed. If they're placed the same time the receiver is bedded, there's nothing to hold them at the correct elevation other than the rear tang of the action.

If the inletting for the bottom metal is precise, you could leave a "virgin" area there as well- but there needs to be a solid surface either top or bottom to be able to hold the bottom metal/pillars/receiver as an assembly at the desired elevation.

The pillars establish the distance between the bottom of the receiver tang and bottom metal- not the elevation.
If you were to wallow-out the tang area before bedding, you could set the back of the action too low (which would also result in the bottom metal not being flush with the bottom of the stock where it should be).
 
Devcon steel bed or marine tex
Tighten your receiver screws to 40 inch pounds when compressing the bedding until dry 24 hours. Of course use release agent and grease on the bolts.
After you clean up all bedding and put your receiver back together what do you torque to for final setting 55 inch pounds? When you measure for stress relief are you seeing no movement at 55 or whatever you set for torque? The reason I am asking, 1. I have never done this before 2. I hear you should test action is free of stress when done and if your indicator jumps, you would need to remove and start over.
 
I have a question for all the people who bed rifle stocks, if you purchase a stock that has been pillar bedded, what do you do to fully bed the action? Do you just "skim bed" or do you mill out part of the stock the action body would rest on and fill in the rest with bedding compound? Curious to hear how people with experience bed there actions in a stock.
If I buy one pillar bedded, and it shoots good, I leave it alone.
 
I saw that on 'Amazon', too. Ridiculous. I did find it (10110) on eBay for A LOT less….

I ordered 2 kits.Best price on the web.Should be here in about a week.
I bought new Devcon 10110 for bedding my 300 win mag in 2009 and just used the same container of Devcon to bed another rifle.The hardner turned to syrup and not a paste anymore but it did a great bedding job just a few months ago.13 years old and still did a great job Hugnot.Not to worry.
 
No telling what the prices will be by that time frame.In 2009 my container was 37.99 and I'm happy to get 50.00 per container today.
2 containers will be plenty for me and my hobby bedding.I don't do it for a living but just for fun and have been well pleased with the near zero stock stress my bedding produces.
1 container has lasted me 13 years so far and it still has some left over so I should be good to go for a long spell.
 
After you clean up all bedding and put your receiver back together what do you torque to for final setting 55 inch pounds? When you measure for stress relief are you seeing no movement at 55 or whatever you set for torque? The reason I am asking, 1. I have never done this before 2. I hear you should test action is free of stress when done and if your indicator jumps, you would need to remove and start over.
If you have to torque action screws to a specific torque after an action is bedded to a stock its not a stress free bedding job.
 
Many decades ago, the most common bedding material was Brownell's Accraglas that came in a red box. Included was a bag of gray-white powdery stuff that was probably asbestos. This was to be mixed in with the epoxy/hardener combo to provide a thicker & less runny consistency. A gunsmith pal of mine used this stuff. On stock bedding days 5-6 rifles were lined up, each resting in notches cut in carboard boxes with stretchy rubber surgical tubing clamping metal to rough formed stocks. Gobs of bedding material oozed out to drop onto layers from previous jobs on the bottom of each box. The hardened epoxy was removed during final stock shaping. Everything sure looked ugly at that point. Some of the wood blanks (super good grain flow & everything else) cost $100-$200 (old time $) so a complete application of release agent was needed to prevent a stuck in place disaster.

Titanium must be the primo bedding agent additive. Extremely strong, corrosion proof, light weight - much better than asbestos. I never used Vaseline over shoe polish wax fearing the Vaseline would act as solvent on the wax - it deserves a trial run.
The powder that came with acraglas was called "Floc" or "Microballons" I have used all kinds of stuff, I even have used atomized stainless steel powder that came from Brownells. I still use 3 types of bedding material depending on what the job at hand is. Devcon, Marine-Tex and Acraglas Gel. I just ordered some Pro Bed 2000 to give it a try. The cost of this stuff is getting out of hand though.

I have a wood stove out in the shop and set the devcon next to it for a bit before using it and it helps it flow a little better, If it's hot outside, Let it sit in the sun in that black jar it comes in.

Edit to add: I also forgot to mention one very important thing, When mixing this stuff, always use a fresh stick for the resin, And another for the hardener, And don't mix up the lids for the jars, If you get even the slightest amount of hardener in the resin, The next time you go to use it, The stuff will be hard as a rock!
 
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I have used Pro Bed 2000 a few times on friends rifles as they bought it.I was impressed and is a lot less expensive than Devcon.
After almost 5 years later the Pro Bed 2000 is still solid as the day I bedded it.
Good stuff!
That's why I bought some pro bed, The price to amount of rifles I could bed with it, I bought the big jars of it, I don't recall how many ounces it is, But it's enough to do a bunch of rifles, I haven't used it yet, But I go through a lot of epoxy, Seems like in spurts.
 
I had an opened container of Devvon 10110 go bad on me. Would never set up.

A real pain to remove and prep the stock the second time around.

I've read where others have had my experience. Some say store the opened 10110 containers in the refrigerator to increase opened shelf life.

Anyhow, that was my last time purchasing that product. I now buy the 2oz containers of Gray Marine Tex. Plenty for one bedding job. Sometimes enough for two jobs.
 
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